How to report a fake profile on every major platform

What counts as a fake profile?

Platforms use the word impersonation for an account that pretends to be a specific real person: your name, your photos, your bio, or enough of them that others could believe it is you. Most also have a separate category for accounts that are fake without pretending to be anyone in particular, such as bot or scam accounts, and a separate copyright route for photos you took being used without permission. Pick impersonation when the account is passing as you or as someone you know; pick the copyright route as well if you took the photos, because the two reports go to different teams and either can get the content removed.

Before reporting, it helps to know how many fakes there are and where. A face search on your own photo finds public pages that show your face, including accounts on other platforms you have not checked yet. The fake profile impersonation guide walks through that sweep; this page covers the reporting that follows.

What should you collect before you report?

1. 1

   Save the profile URL and username

   Copy the exact link to the fake profile and write down the username. Usernames change; the URL or the account ID is what the platform needs.

2. 2

   Screenshot everything

   The profile page, each photo, the bio, follower counts, and any posts or messages. Include the date and time on your screen if you can. Fakes are often deleted or renamed after a report, and your screenshots are the record.

3. 3

   Gather your originals

   The same photos on your own accounts, with their dates. This proves the photos are yours and predate the fake. If you have a government ID, some platforms will ask for a copy; keep it ready but send it only through the platform's own form.

4. 4

   Note the harm

   Is the account messaging your contacts, asking for money, posting content you did not post? Platforms prioritise active harm, and police need it for a report.

5. 5

   Do not engage

   Do not message the account, warn it or comment on its posts. It alerts the operator, who then deletes evidence or opens a new account.

How do you report on Instagram?

1. 01Open the fake profile, tap the three dots in the top corner, tap Report, then choose the option that says the account is pretending to be someone else, and select yourself or the person you are reporting for.
2. 02If you do not have an Instagram account, or the fake blocked you, use the impersonation form in the Instagram Help Center. Search the Help Center for "impersonation" to reach the current form.
3. 03Instagram may ask for a photo of your government ID to confirm you are the person being impersonated. It is sent through the form, not by email.
4. 04Response times vary from hours to a couple of weeks. If the account is removed you may not be told; check the profile URL.

How do you report on Facebook?

1. 01Open the fake profile, tap the three dots under the cover photo, choose Find support or report, then Pretending to be someone, and follow the prompts. Facebook's own article, Report a Facebook profile or Page pretending to be you or someone else, describes the current path.
2. 02For a fake Page rather than a profile, the same menu appears under the Page's cover photo with a report option.
3. 03If you do not have a Facebook account or cannot log in, the same article links a contact form for people without an account.
4. 04Facebook may ask for identification. Reports from the person being impersonated, with ID, are handled faster than reports from friends.

How do you report on TikTok?

1. 01Open the account, tap the share arrow or the three dots, tap Report, choose Report account, then the impersonation option, and state whether the account is pretending to be you, a friend, or a public figure.
2. 02If you are not on TikTok, use the report form through TikTok Support and search for "report a user" or "impersonation" to reach the current web form.
3. 03TikTok asks for the username of the fake account and may ask for proof of identity. Keep screenshots of your own account showing the same photos.

How do you report on X (Twitter)?

1. 01On the fake profile, tap the three dots, choose Report, then select the option for pretending to be you or someone else, and follow the prompts.
2. 02X also has a dedicated impersonation form on its help site. Open the X Help Center and search for "impersonation" to reach it; the form asks for the fake account's username, whether you are the person impersonated, and may request a copy of your ID.
3. 03X's policy distinguishes impersonation from parody and fan accounts, which are allowed if they are clearly labelled. An account using your photos and name with no such label is impersonation.

How do you report on LinkedIn?

1. 01Open the fake profile, click the More button, choose Report or block, then select the reason that the profile is fake or pretending to be someone, and follow the steps. LinkedIn's article Report a fake profile describes the route.
2. 02If you are being impersonated and the in-app report does not resolve it, LinkedIn's help site has a form for reporting a profile created with your name or information; search its Help for "impersonation" to reach the current version. Include the profile URL and screenshots.
3. 03LinkedIn fakes often target professionals for job and investment scams, so also warn your connections once the report is filed, without naming the account publicly until it is removed.

How do you report on Snapchat?

1. 01In the app, press and hold the fake account's name, tap Manage Friendship or the settings icon, then Report, and choose the reason that they are pretending to be you or someone else.
2. 02Outside the app, go to Snapchat Support, choose the option to report a safety concern, then the option about another account pretending to be you, and fill in the form with the fake account's username.
3. 03You will need the exact username of the fake account; Snapchat cannot search by display name or photo. Parents can report an account impersonating their child.

How do you report on Reddit?

1. 01Go to reddit.com/report, choose that you want to report other issues, then the impersonation option, and give the username and the details.
2. 02On the account's profile you can also use the report option in the menu and choose impersonation as the reason.
3. 03Reddit's impersonation policy covers accounts pretending to be a real person or entity in a misleading way; satire and clearly labelled parody are allowed. If the fake is using your photos in posts, a separate copyright report through the same report page also applies.
4. 04If the standard form does not fit, Reddit Help has a request form.

How do you report on Tinder, Bumble and Hinge?

Dating apps are where stolen photos cause the most direct harm, because the fake is actively talking to people and often asking them for money. All three let anyone report a profile from inside the app, and all three accept reports from the person being impersonated even if they do not use the app.

• Tinder. In the app, open the profile, tap the shield or the three dots, choose Report, then the impersonation reason, and submit. If you are not on Tinder, use the contact form at Tinder Help and choose the safety or reporting topic; include the profile's name, age, photos and screenshots. The Tinder platform page covers what is and is not publicly findable there.
• Bumble. In the app, open the profile, scroll to the bottom and tap Hide and Report, then choose Fake profile and the closest reason. Bumble also accepts reports through Bumble Help with the profile's exact name, age, bio and photos plus screenshots. Bumble has a zero-tolerance policy on fake profiles and a dedicated reporting option for AI-generated photos.
• Hinge. In the app, open the profile, tap the three dots and choose Report. Hinge's help article I need to report an impersonation or fake profile explains what to include when you report from outside the app: the profile's exact name, age, bio and photos, screenshots, and any location, phone number or email that could help identify it.

The dating apps platform page collects these routes alongside what a face search can find on each app. People who matched with the fake and sent money should also report to a fraud agency; see the romance scam photo check.

What happens after you report?

Most platforms acknowledge a report immediately and decide within days, though backlogs can stretch this to weeks. Decisions are usually delivered as a notification or an email, and sometimes not at all; check the profile URL directly. If a report is rejected, file again with better evidence: your originals next to the fake's photos, with dates, and a clear statement that you are the person depicted. Reports from the impersonated person with ID carry far more weight than reports from friends. If the account reappears under a new name, report the new one and reference the earlier case where the form allows.

When should you involve the police?

Report to the police, or to your country's cybercrime unit, when the fake account is used to defraud people, to threaten or extort you, to share intimate images, or to harass you persistently, and whenever a minor is involved. In the United States, fraud is reported to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and internet crime to the FBI's IC3. In the United Kingdom, Action Fraud takes fraud reports and local police take harassment. In India, the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal accepts reports on impersonation, fraud and intimate-image abuse. Your screenshots, URLs and the platform report reference numbers are what these agencies will ask for. If intimate images are involved, the removal guide covers the dedicated routes that exist for that.

How this applies to FaceSearch

FaceSearch does not report accounts or contact platforms on your behalf, except for the take-down request help included with the Business plan. What it does is show you where your face appears on public pages, so you can find every copy and every fake before you file, and check again after the platform acts. Run a free search with a clear photo of yourself, note the pages that are not yours, and work through the routes above. If the results include a page you cannot get removed, the takedown guide covers the copyright and privacy routes that remain.